Undergraduate Course: Modern Japanese Society (ASST10112)
Course Outline
| School | School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures | 
College | College of Humanities and Social Science | 
 
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) | 
Availability | Available to all students | 
 
| SCQF Credits | 20 | 
ECTS Credits | 10 | 
 
 
| Summary | The course focusses on the nature of society in modern Japan, from the mid-19th century but with particular emphasis on the present day.  In particular we will investigate a range of social issues that have become key talking points in Japanese media, academic and political circles. 
 
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| Course description | 
    
    Week 1 - Introduction 
Week 2 - The Lost Decade and Issues in Contemporary Japanese Society 
Week 3 - Risk and Surveillance in Contemporary Japan 
Week 4 - Challenges in Japanese Education 
Week 5 - Economy and Work: Freeters and kakusa-shakai 
Week 6 - Religion, Civil Society and the State 
Week 7 - Gender Trouble? 
Week 8 - Mental Health in Japan 
Week 9 - The Politics of Memory 
Week 10 - The Korean Minority in Japan 
Week 11 - Youth Protest and Risk  
 
 
The course focusses on the nature of society in modern Japan, from the mid-19th century but with particular emphasis on the present day. The distinctively Japanese forms of social organization will be assessed, as will the far-reaching effects of Western influence and social forms. Where appropriate, analysis of pre-modern forms of Japanese society will be presented. 
 
All students will be given a formative feedback exercise that will be helpful for the assessment for this course and students' general academic development.
    
    
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Information for Visiting Students 
| Pre-requisites | Equivalent of U01730 or successful completion of a second- or third-year level course in Japanese society. | 
 
		| High Demand Course? | 
		Yes | 
     
 
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |   
Learning Outcomes 
    On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
    
        - Identify and explain the key challenges to emerge in Japan's two lost decades
 - Critically evaluate popular discourse on Japan's social and political issues
 - Analyse recent trends in Japanese society in the context of neoliberal economic reform and risk
 - Critically historicise current issues in Japanese society
 - Design and conduct autonomous research on contemporary Japanese
 
     
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills | 
Not entered | 
 
| Keywords | AS Mod Jap Soc,japan,society,modern | 
 
 
Contacts 
| Course organiser | Ms Lauren Richardson 
Tel: (0131 6)50 4098 
Email:  | 
Course secretary | Mr David Horn 
Tel: (0131 6)50 4227 
Email:  | 
   
 
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